Awake and Dreaming
by SilverYami
Summary: Many things have changed since Kai ran away from the abbey. But now he has been caught, and he is forced back into a world where only his dreams can save him. TalaKai ReiKai Kaitorture, abuse.
1. Stay With Me

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Beyblade

Chapter 1

Stay With Me Tonight

-

The boy cried out, tears glistening in his eyes as his frail body shook under the weight of the blows that were hitting him over and over. Bruises covered his upper body, and his dark blue hair was damp with sweat and blood. Another kick landed on his chest, and he instinctively curled up into a ball, trying to stop the pain. Coughing slightly, he thought he tasted blood in his mouth, but it was hard to tell.

A taller figure leaned over him, expression cold as he hit the smaller boy in the jaw. The boy's head struck the ground, and small dots of light flashed before his eyes. "Please…" he managed to choke out, before he started to cough again.

A tall man stood by the wall, dressed all in black, a bored look on his face as he watched. Next to him was another boy with red hair, also wearing black clothing. Ice blue eyes narrowed at the man who was currently punching the other boy in the jaw. He clenched his fists and closed his eyes. A hand was placed on his shoulder, and he looked up into the older man's face.

"I know you don't like this, Tala, but it is something that must be done." The hand moved up to stroke the boy's cheek. "Just remember, he deserves it."

"Don't fucking touch me, Boris!" Tala spat, pulling away.

Boris just smirked. "Be glad it isn't you over there, little one. I could never do that to you. I would hate to see your perfect skin scarred."

"You have already scarred me enough." Tala whispered, but this time didn't move away as Boris ran his fingers through his red hair.

The man turned back to the scene before him. "Alright, Spencer, that's enough. Move on now."

The small boy moaned slightly as he was yanked up roughly by the hair and slammed into a wall. Cold chains clamped around his wrists, then he was let go, left to hang there, shivering in the cool air. He stared at the dark stone in front of him through half closed eyes. He could hear people talking in low voices, the swish of a rope being pulled, and then footsteps walking towards him. A sudden blinding pain seared across his lower back as a whip cut through his skin. A small whimper escaped his lips, and he silently cursed himself when he heard Boris chuckle. Another blow came, this time to his stomach, and a few tears escaped his tightly closed eyes.

On the next blow, his whole body flinched, and he cried out again. And again. Soon he could no longer stay silent as the whip lashed across his body over and over, with no breaks in between.

Boris nodded in satisfaction as the boy screamed out once more. Looking down at Tala, he grinned at the way the boy was shivering in disgust as he looked at he bleeding cuts all over the others body. So Tala couldn't stand to see the pain the other was feeling? He would soon change that.

The boy hung limp in the chains, his wrists growing sore and bruised from the metal. Each lash felt like fire on his skin, and he couldn't do anything to stop it. Blood was running over his lips from where he had bitten them in an effort to stay silent. He couldn't block out the pain. It just got worse.

Boris raised his hand and Spencer stopped. The man turned to Tala, pushing him forward slightly. "I think we should switch places, don't you little one? After all, there was another reason I brought you here. I want you to take Spencer's place."

Tala's eyes widened in horror. "No! Please, don't ask me to do that!"

"You have no choice in the matter." Boris roughly grabbed the redheads arm and thrust his closer.

Tala struggled. "Why-why me? Spencer is doing a g-good enough job!"

Boris snarled. "You will take your orders without question, boy!"

Tala glared up at him. "I won't do it."

The man scowled at the look in the boys eyes. He knew that look. When he had his mind set on something he couldn't change it. "Tala, Tala, Tala…" Boris chuckled darkly, pulling the boy into his arms. "I don't know what has gotten into you lately! You have grown bolder, more confident. Now you think you can stand up to me and get away with it. Well, we can't have that, can we?"

Tala didn't answer.

Boris sighed. "Fine. I won't make you hurt your little friend here. But you must not go unpunished. Go now and wait for me in my office. We will 'discuss' you punishment after I am through here." He gently touched Tala's cheek, before letting go of him. Knowing better than to argue, the boy walked towards the door, head down, already knowing what kind of punishment Boris would give him. Boris smirked as he watched the boy leave the room. He loved seeing his orders carried out so quickly, without fuss. He loved being able to control them, bending them to his every desire.

A soft moan drew his attention back to the small body across the room. Boris licked his lips, and, still smirking, walked over. "Leave us, Spencer. I will finish up here. You will have the rest of the day off for your service here."

The tall blonde nodded. "Yes sir."

Boris waited till the door closed, then turned to the boy. He leaned closer and gripped the others chin in his hand, tilting it up so he could look him in the face. The boy cracked open his eyes and glared at him. Boris smiled. "So, Kai. Did you really think you could escape us for long? It was only a matter of time before we caught you. Your couple years of freedom didn't really do you that much good, did they?"

The boy coughed. "That's what you think."

Boris reached up to run his finger over Kai's bleeding lips. "You don't know how much I have missed you, my little phoenix." He said softly, leaning down to brush his mouth against the other boys. A sudden pain washed over him as Kai bit down on his bottom lip. Boris swore as he pulled away, tasting blood in his mouth. "You think that's funny, do you?" he growled, punching Kai in the stomach.

Kai winced as the blow hit his already bruised ribs. "I will never be your toy, Boris."

The man smiled. "Correction. You are already my toy. Why just look how I had you screaming just moments before! That's was on my command."

"I will get out of here soon! You can't keep me forever!"

"And who will save you? Your old team? No one cares about you, Kai. No one will come for you."

"You're wrong!"

"Am I?" the man hissed, gripping Kai's hair tightly, yanking his head up. "Well we will just have to see how much fighting spirit you have left after I am through with you." He leaned in closer to the boy, so his breath tickled the others ear. "I am going to make you scream." He whispered, before letting go.

Kai let his head drop. His arms were beginning to hurt badly, and his vision was becoming slightly blurry. He closed his eyes as Boris walked around him. The man touched a finger to his chest, dragging it over the abused skin, and fingering the cuts. "You are so lovely…" he murmured, running his hands over Kai's back. "I will enjoy you a lot." The boy shuddered, knowing the meaning. "But for now, I have another boy waiting to be punished. I must go to him. Be a good boy and wait here? I will check on you in the morning."

He once again crushed his lips to Kai's kissing him hard. Kai felt his stomach churn, and he tried to kick Boris, but the man just shoved him up against the wall, trapping him there. The boy grunted as the man pressed against him, forcing his tongue into Kai's mouth. Just as Kai was going to bite down again, Boris pulled away, panting. "Still as sweet as ever, my phoenix." he back towards the door, grinning. "Hang tight, Kai. See you in the morning." The door closed, and Kai was left in darkness.

--------------

Tala winced as he walked slowly down the dark hall. Boris hadn't been easy on him, but then, he never was. Sighing softly, he rubbed his neck with one hand, while adjusting his cloths a bit with the other. It was worth it though, if it meant Kai didn't get hurt as much in the long run.

Leaning on the wall for support, Tala pushed open a door and walked in, blinking at the sudden light. Three people turned to look at him as he entered. A boy with light purple hair stood up and quickly walked over to him, wrapping an arm around his waist to support him. "He really went all out this time, didn't he Tala?"

Tala nodded, sinking into a chair next to another boy. "Thank Brian."

Brian grinned wryly. "No prob. It happens to all of us."

The boy next to Tala looked up from the book he was reading. "Hey Tala. What was the excuse he used this time? You know, he is rapidly running out of them."

Tala closed his eyes and rubbed his temples with one hand. "I didn't follow his orders."

The other boy nodded. "As I thought. The usual."

The redhead chuckled dryly. "I envy you Ian."

Brian scowled. "Don't we all." He turned to Tala. "So what exactly did Boris want you to do? Was it so terrible that you had to refuse?"

Tala winced. "He… he wanted me to- I couldn't…"

A fourth voice came from a corner across the room. "It's your own fault, you know."

Tala's head snapped up immediately. "Oh, I didn't see you there, Spencer." He said coldly.

Spencer glared. "If you had just followed orders instead of being so weak, it never would have happened. So don't come crying to us after."

Tala stood up. "How could you?" he hissed, eyes narrow. "Kai was like a brother to all of us! How could you do that to him?"

Spencer shrugged. "He is a traitor. He has to be punished."

"And you really believe that?"

"I do."

Tala clenched his fists, eyes flashing in anger. "I was going to run away with him. If I hadn't been caught, I would have been all those years to. Are you saying that if I got caught again like Kai did, you would have beaten me as well? With just as little mercy?"

Spencer didn't answer.

Tala sneered. "Thought so." He sat back down, and turned to Brian and Ian, who were watching with interest.

Ian raised an eyebrow. "So you mean Boris was having Kai beat up, and he asked you to do it instead of Spencer, and you refused so he brought you to his office and… you know." The redhead nodded. Ian winced. "Man that's rough. I would have hurt Kai if it as me. I mean, if it was that or a session with Boris…"

Tala felt anger surge through him again. "Shut up Ian! Don't talk about thing you don't understand. You and Spencer have had an easy life here, haven't you? The worst punishment you guys get is having to train all night. But me and Brian…" he gritted his teeth. "Anyways, you wouldn't understand. I would gladly do it again if kept me from hurting Kai."

Ian frowned. "You know, Tala. You're right. I may be selfish in thinking this, but I am glad I look the way I do. I am small, I have a big nose, and in all I am unattractive. But ever since I came to the abbey, I have been glad of it. If being beautiful like you, Brian and Kai means I have to be in Boris' bed every other night, then I think I would rather stay the way I am. So no, I don't know what it is like, but I sure do know I don't want to experience it. If hurting another person will keep it from happening, I would gladly do it."

Tala looked like he had been struck. Ian's eyes widened. "Oh shit! Tala, I'm sorry! I didn't—"

But Tala just waved his hand for the other boy to be quiet. "No, it's ok. You and I are different people. I would do anything to keep others from harm, while you would do anything to keep yourself safe. I don't blame you for not wanting to experience what we have."

Brian sighed. "Kai has changed so much, hasn't he? Did you see him when he walked in? He has grown a lot. Boris will want him more than any of us. I would hate to be in his shoes right now."

Tala frowned. "Why?"

"Think about it, Tala. Boris has had his little fun with us for years. Kai is new to him, untouched, unscarred. The man has never been known to be able to resist something like that."

Ian looked around the room. "Speaking of Kai, where is he? What did Boris do with him when he was done?"

Tala frowned. "That's a good question. He didn't have that much time, because he came to his office very soon after I arrived. Which means one person must have been there as he left." He turned to the blonde. "Spencer?"

Spencer shrugged carelessly. "As far as I know, Kai is still down in the basement room. I was watching when Boris left, and he didn't take Kai with him."

Tala paled. "So you mean he is still down there?"

"Probably."

"Shit." Tala jumped up again.

Brian looked up. "Where are you going?"

"I have to go get Kai!"

"Are you mad? Boris obviously left him down there! He will be pissed if you move Kai anywhere else!"

"I have to, Brian."

The other boy shrugged. "Your funeral."

--------------

Kai groaned. His wrists and arms felt like they were on fire, his back and chest were throbbing painfully, and fact that he was shirtless and freezing his ass off didn't help the situation much either. On top of it all, he could still taste Boris' disgusting mouth, still feel his hands upon his skin. Kai spat on the floor, and shivered. _'Why do they keep this place so bloody cold?'_ he wondered hazily, trying to move his fingers. _'If only I could touch the damn floor!'_

He stretched his legs, but could only feel the tips of his bare feet brush against the ground. Kai gritted his teeth, feeling pain shoot through his lower back as the cuts and whip marks were pulled. _'Damn it!'_

Footsteps echoed in the hall outside, and Kai immediately stopped moving. He didn't want Boris to see him struggling. He heard the door swing open, but still kept his eyes tightly shut. The person quickly walked over to him, and Kai stiffened when he felt a hand gently touch his shoulder. "Fuck off, Boris. I already told you, I'm not interested in being you toy!" he spat out bitterly.

The hand withdrew, and a soft voice said, "Kai…"

Kai's eyes shot open. "T-Tala?"

Tala stood there, staring at the boy before him. He never thought he would see Kai this way. Kai had always been the strong one, the one who wasn't afraid of anything. But now, looking into his crimson eyes, he could see how broken Kai was. And the worst was yet to come.

"Tala… can you help me down?" the boy whispered.

Tala blinked and nodded, walking over to the opposite wall to retrieve the key. As soon as he unlocked the chains, Kai fell to the floor. Tala kneeled down beside him and turned him over so he was on his back. His breathing was harsh, and Tala suspected he had a few broken ribs. "Can you stand?" Kai nodded, and slowly began to sit up, wincing. Tala noticed. "Here, let me help you." He reached out a hand, but Kai drew back.

"No, I can do it."

"Don't be stupid. You can't even sit up!" Tala's voice softened. "Please, let me do this. You are hurt badly, and we need to get you away from here as quickly as possible."

When he gently touched the other boys shoulder, Kai didn't pull away. "Don't you dare tell anyone about this."

Tala smiled as he picked the smaller boy up bridal style. "Wouldn't dream of it."

----------------

Golden eyes glowed in the darkness of a hotel room. A boy lay stretched out on the double bed, alone, staring up at the ceiling. A tear slid down his cheek, and one thought ran through his mind.

_'I have to find him, see him once more. If only to tell him…'_

----------------

Tala carefully placed Kai on his bed, then walked over and locked the door. He could hear the other boy cursing quietly as he shifted around, trying to get comfortable. Tala walked into the bathroom that joined onto his room, and got some wet cloths, before returning. Flicking on the lamp next to the bed, he gasped at what he saw. In the darkness down in the dungeons, he hadn't been able to see the full extent of Kai's injuries, but now, in the bright light, he could see how much Boris had actually done.

Kai sighed. "Is it that bad?" he asked, noticing the look on his friends face.

"You don't want to know."

"Thought so."

Gently Tala ran a cloth over Kai's chest, wiping off the dried blood and cleaning the cuts. Kai winced. "Ouch! That hurt!"

"Sorry." He noticed Kai's breathing was becoming laboured, and his hands were clenching the bed sheets tightly. Raising his gaze to the smaller boys face, he noticed something he missed before. Kai's lips were bruised. There was only one way that could have happened. _'Damn you Boris! You had to taste him on his first day back, didn't you?' _

Kai shivered as Tala unconsciously ran his finger over his mouth, softly stroking his lips. "T-Tala?"

"Kai," he whispered. "I'm so sorry."

Kai frowned. "For what?"

Tala closed his eyes. "After you ran away without me, I wanted desperately for you to return. It was horrible being here without you. I know it was selfish of me, but I didn't want to bear the pain alone. At first Boris just did the usual beatings, and other than that, didn't pay much attention to me. But then I grew up, and Boris, he…" Tala's voice cracked. "I only cared that you were safe. And now you are back." Tears pooled in his eyes.

"Tala…"

"I know you think you can stand up to what ever Boris does to you. I thought that at first to. But little by little he took every part of me. Now I am no more than his puppet, obeying every command, bending myself to his will, knowing it is useless to fight him. I don't want that to happen to you. I don't want to see you broken."

Slowly Tala pulled his shirt over his head, and Kai's breath caught in his throat. All over Tala's chest were long cuts, and dark red marks. Down by his hips, disappearing under his pants were dark bruises in the shape of finger prints. "That was your punishment this evening." Kai said softly.

Tala nodded, dropping his gaze. "And has been, every time I do something wrong. Even when I am perfect, Boris makes up reasons. There is no escaping."

"How long has this been going on for?"

"It started three years ago, when I was fourteen."

Kai closed his eyes. "That long."

Tala sighed and went back to wiping the other boy with the cloth. "Now that you're here, things will get worse. Boris hasn't been very satisfied with only me and Brian. I'm sure he is looking forward to taking you."

Kai winced as his friend tightly bound bandages on his chest. "Well, hopefully he will at least wait till I am better. I don't exactly want to fight him with broken ribs, now do I?"

Tying the bandages securely, Tala lifted Kai slightly and slid him under the covers. "Please, Kai. Don't try to fight him. It will only make it worse."

Kai snorted. "So expect me to just submit to him? I don't think so." He felt Tala slip under the covers next to him.

"Kai," Tala whispered, "you don't know what it is like. He has his ways… you just go limp in his arms, trying to make the pain stop. Promise me, that what ever he does, you will let him. Trust me, it is better that way."

"I can't promise anything, Tala."

Tala leaned over to turn off the lamp. In the dark he turned to face Kai, reaching out a hand to gently touch the others face. "You always were too stubborn for your own good."

Kai just yawned. "Goodnight, Tala."

"Goodnight, Kai."

_'I hope you're ready for what tomorrow will bring.'_

----------------

**A/N:** Well i finally started my new story. I am kind of new with the whole Kai-torture thing, so dont blame me if it is bad. Anyways, if you review, it would be really apreciated!


	2. Angel

Chapter 2

Send Me an Angel

-

Cold fingers stroked the soft skin at the base of Kai's neck, before moving up to skim over a cut that ran down the length of his cheek. The boy winced slightly at the pain. The man chuckled. "I am sorry that you had to go through that, Kai. I'm sure it wasn't pleasant."

Kai scowled. "Bastard."

"Come now… it's not like I enjoy seeing my own flesh and blood hurt, much less scarred like you are now." Kai was silent, so the man continued. "But the important thing is that you have learned you lesson. Isn't that right?"

The boy spat at his feet. "Fuck you."

The man glared at him, then punched Kai in the gut. Kai bent over, coughing, and clutching his stomach. The man regarded him coolly. "I think you got off very easily considering the circumstances. You should be grateful, Kai. Stand up." The boy did so, flinching at the pain in his ribs. The man started to walk around him, occasionally prodding at bruises and cuts. "Now, I want you to be up every day at 6:30am to train. You have gotten out of shape. We need to fix that. Boris will oversee all your training sessions. If you don't meet expectations, he will punish you in what ever way he sees fit. You are to have no interaction with any of the other team members outside of training. Tala included. I know you have only been back here for a few days, but you should still remember the rules. Is that clear?"

"It is."

"Good." The man looked down into Kai's face. "Remember, I have big plans for you, boy. Don't disappoint me again. Understand?"

"Yes… Grandfather."

--------------

"Kai! You're not concentrating!" hissed Tala.

Kai clenched his fists. He could feel his strength draining out of him. Since he hadn't had time to fully recover, he knew Tala was going to win. "Go! Dranzer!"

"Go Wolborg!"

The two blades clashed together, and the boy winced as Dranzer was sent flying out of the dish, with Wolborg still spinning. Kai leaned down to pick up his blade, before glancing over to where the rest of the team and Boris were sitting. The man was smirking, and his eyes gleamed. Kai had a suspicion that he hadn't been paying the slightest attention to the battle.

"Brian, battle Tala. And Kai, you come here."

Gripping Dranzer tightly, Kai obeyed, walking over so he was standing in front of Boris. The man slowly stood up. "You have grown sloppy, Kai. I never want to see a performance like that again. You should have been able to beat Tala easily with your training. I expected better than that." When Kai remained silent, Boris frowned. "You will answer me when I speak to you, or there will be punishment, Kai."

"Yes sir." Kai didn't look up into the others face.

Boris smirked. "Now sit down and watch the match. Even you could learn something."

Kai sat down, flinching as the man sat down beside to him. He was uncomfortably close, and Kai would have moved away, but Spencer was next to him, not allowing even an inch. The boy frowned. "Hey, could I have some room here?"

Spencer ignored him.

Kai scowled, and slumped down on the bench. At least he was pretty sure Boris wouldn't try anything here. There were guards at all the doors, as well as security cameras. He would he a fool to do something where Voltaire might see…

A hand ghosted over his leg, dipping down slightly to the inside of his thigh, rubbing small circles. Kai tensed immediately, and glanced slowly to the side. Boris was staring towards the two bladers at the dish, a small smirk stretching his lips as his hand continued to wander. Kai frowned. _'But Boris isn't stupid enough to do something like this where he could be found out… unless he made sure that he wouldn't be caught…' _with that thought, Kai's blood ran cold. That meant no one was watching, and the man could do what ever he wanted. Kai stared straight ahead as well. "Boris. What the hell do you think your doing?"

"You didn't do very well against Tala, Kai. You must be punished." The man started to rub his hand over Kai's crotch, but the boy stood up quickly, knocking his arm away. Boris frowned.

"Don't you dare touch me like that."

The man's frown deepened. "That is the way things are done around here, Kai. It is the only way you will learn! Do you think I do it merely for my own enjoyment?"

The boy clenched his teeth. "You bastard! The only way you can learn my ass! What would my grandfather say if he knew?"

Boris paled slightly. "I know he wouldn't mind." The man suddenly grinned. "He does, after all, have his own… methods… for punishment."

"And I suppose you know from experience what they are?" the boy spat.

Instantly Boris was on his feet. "Don't talk about things you don't know." He growled. "You haven't been here in such a long time; you don't know our ways anymore. Thing have changed, little Kai. You can't come back here and expect to rule the place. You will obey me, or else!"

"Or else what?"

"Don't tempt me, Kai." The man took a step forward.

Tala and Brian had stopped battling, their blades back in their hands. Boris was too distracted to notice. Tala glanced worriedly over at Bryan. This was exactly what he was afraid would happen. He was afraid that Kai couldn't control his temper long enough. But of course, he hadn't expected Boris to try something here, either.

Tala started forwards, but Brian moved to stop him, laying a hand on the redheads arm. "Don't, Tala," he whispered. "Don't interfere. Kai can take care of himself."

Tala clenched his fists, and whispered back. "But who knows what Boris will do when provoked." Yet he stayed where he was.

"Is that why you do it, then?" Kai was saying. "You are such a disgusting old man, and you can never get laid so you take it out on us. Us boys whose looks far outshine any you ever had?" Kai knew he was treading on thin ice by the look Boris had on his face, but he didn't care. "Or _maybe_, you just want us to know what it feels like when you get taken by my grandfather!"

Suddenly strong hands gripped his wrists and twisted his arms behind his back. Kai grunted in pain, struggling against the person who held him. "Spencer you bastard! Let go of me!"

Boris smiled dangerously. "Oh, I don't think so, Kai. What you just said wasn't very nice."

"The thought of being with my grandfather repulses you that much, does it? You insult me! After all, we do share the same blood!"

A pale hand gripped his throat, making Kai cough slightly. "You are crossing the line, boy. You should be glad I gave you at least a few days to recover before touching you. I could have taken you that night, but decided against it. Now, aren't I nice?" his other hand slid up under Kai's shirt running his finger gently over the cuts that were still visible. Kai flinched. "Oh dear, I see you are still somewhat hurt. You are human after all, Kai."

Kai tried to twist away from the hand. "What the hell does that mean?" he spat.

Boris spoke quietly. "It means you bleed like the rest of us, you scream like the rest of us, you scar like the rest of us, and you have emotions just like the rest of us. I know you, Kai. And right now, I know that if I forced myself on you, it would break you apart. That's why I will have so much fun doing it. No matter how hard you try not to be, you are still just a young boy, alone and afraid."

"Fuck you, Boris. Leave me alone!"

Using both hands, the man started to unbutton Kai's shirt, ignoring the helpless struggles of his captive. It had been so long since anyone had fought back against him. He would have fun breaking Kai's spirit, just like he did to Tala and Brian. He enjoyed having the small boy vulnerable beneath him, unable to fight back, unable to stop the unwanted touches. Spencer was doing a good job of keeping him immobile, allowing the man to use both hands to explore the small body with ease. Grinning, he took one of Kai's nipples between his fingers and squeezed painfully.

Kai cried out, struggling harder against the blond behind him. "Stop!" he was aware of Tala and Bryan watching near by, and he felt tears of shame come to his eyes. He didn't want Tala to see him like this. He hated being so helpless. He also hated knowing that his friend had gone through worse than this many times.

Cold lips pressed harshly against his own, biting down roughly on his bottom lip, making him cry out again. But Boris only took it as an opportunity to force his tongue into the unwilling mouth. Kai was dimly aware of Spencer letting go of him, and Boris pinning him to the floor. The mans weight on his chest made it harder to breathe, and when Boris finally sat up, he gasped for air, blood trickling out of his mouth. Boris shifted, and he pressed down on Kai's already broken ribs, making the boy yelp in pain.

"No, don't!" Kai cried. "It is too soon! You can't…"

Boris struck his face, bruising the pale skin. "You should have thought about that before you insulted me, then. You must get the proper punishment now, my little phoenix…"

Blackness began to cloud his vision as more pain shot through his body. He could feel hands at the top of his pants, while a tongue ran over his chest, lapping up the blood that was seeping from the wounds. Nails dug into his hips as teeth scrapped over his skin leaving long red marks.

Kai faintly heard Tala yelling in the distance, before he lost consciousness completely.

-------------

_I'm all out of faith, this is how I feel  
I'm cold and I am shamed lying naked on the floor  
Illusion never changed into something real  
I'm wide awake and I can see the perfect sky is torn  
_

_I'm all out of faith, this is how I feel  
I'm cold and I'm ashamed bound and broken on the floor  
You're a little late, I'm already torn…_

Everything was black when Kai opened his eyes. He was lying on a cement floor in a small room. _'At least I know where I am.'_ Kai thought duly, reaching out to touch the wall, not comforted by this thought. Boris had put him in one of the basement rooms, probably intending to leave him there for a good while.

Slowly the boy shifted, wincing as pain shot through his head. Lifting a hand to his forehead, he found a couple of small gashes that were bleeding slightly. Upon further inspection, he realized his shirt was gone, and, though ripped, his pants were still on his body. _'That's means Tala must have stopped him in time.' _His stomach clenched painfully thinking about the other blader. Tala had stopped Boris. But that probably meant he had to pay the price. _'No, Tala will be ok. He is stronger than me.'_

Pushing Tala from his mind, Kai slowly shifted into a sitting position, till he was leaning against the wall, panting. Added onto his previous injuries were Boris' new ones and the boy doubted they would all heal without scarring. Tears prickled his eyes. Even if he were to escape the abbey again, who would want him now? Boris had touched him like no one had before. Boris had almost taken the one thing left that was solely his.

The soft sound of the door opening reached his ears, and Kai immediately tensed, believing the man had come to finish what he started. Quiet footsteps crossed the floor towards him, and the person kneeled down in front of him. Kai squeezed his eyes shut. "Fuck off, Boris. Wasn't Tala enough for one night?" a hand gently touched his arm, but the small boy flinched.

"Kai…"

Kai's eyes flew open. He knew that voice… but it couldn't be. What would he be doing here?

"Kai… its me. Please…"

"R-Rei?" Kai whispered.

"Yes, it's me. Oh, Kai…"

"Rei…" Kai's voice broke. "What are you doing here? How did you find me?" Tears began to gather in his eyes. It seemed too unreal. So impossible that Rei was here…

"I had to find you, Kai! How could you think that no one would come for you? I couldn't leave you alone here." Rei whispered, gathering the crying boy into his arms. "Don't worry. You're safe now. I have come to get you out of here."

"B-but how? We will never be a-able to get out of here unnoticed. B-Boris has the place to well guarded."

"Don't worry about that. Trust me. But we have to get out of here as soon as possible. I don't know how long it will be until they detect my presence. Can you walk?"

"I'll try." Kai gripped the taller boy tightly as he slowly got to his feet. Rei stood beside him, an arm wrapped around his waist.

"Ok, come on." Rei helped Kai walk to the door, looking out down the hall, before moving silently out the door.

Kai was shaking badly_. 'I wish that we will get out of here safely. I don't even want to think about what will happen if Boris catches Rei.'_ They were moving quickly down the hall now._ 'I wish I was a normal 17 year old,'_ Kai thought desperately, _'I wish the abbey never existed. I wish I was happy, with Rei…_' But the wish made him want to cry—it would never come true.

"Hurry, Kai." The taller boy looked around nervously.

"I- I can't go any faster, Rei. It hurts…"

"We have to get you out of here as soon as possible. Tyson and the others are waiting outside for us. They will help us escape when we are out."

Kai smiled weakly. They had all come for him. They had come. _'Take that, Boris!'_

Suddenly a guard came round a corner and caught sight of them. His eyes widened. "Hey you! Where do you think your going?"

"Oh shit." Rei said, and quickly turned down another hallway, pulling Kai after him. They were running as fast as Kai could go with his injuries, but even that was not enough as Boris stepped out in front of them, a smirk on his face.

Kai almost screamed with despair. They were so close. But Boris had caught them. Rei would be subject to the same torture as the rest of them. Soon his pretty skin would be covered in scars. Kai couldn't let that happen.

He cried out. "Please! Leave us alone, Boris! I wish none of this was real!"

-------------

Soft voices were giggling quietly near by. "Shh! You'll wake him!" another whispered. The bed Kai was lying on sunk a little as a person sat down next to him, moving a few strands of hair out of his eyes.

Kai moaned and shifted slightly, reaching up to rub at his eyes.

"Now see what you did?" the voice snapped, annoyed. "You woke him up! Get out of here; he'll be in a bad mood."

A sigh, then, "Fine, fine. We'll come back soon."

Another voice snickered. "But not _too_ soon." Then the door clicked shut.

A soft hand gently stroked the side of Kai's face, and he cracked his eyes open blurrily. A tall young man was sitting beside him, with long black hair falling into his golden eyes, drifting down past his back. He was wearing a plain white shirt that matched his headband, and jeans. When he saw Kai open his eyes, he smiled softly, revealing pointed fangs. "So, you're finally up. I thought you were going to sleep forever." His voice was light and teasing.

"Rei?" Kai mumbled sleepily, "where am I?"

Rei laughed. "I guess you are still half asleep. We are at home, remember? Japan? Tokyo?"

"T-Tokyo? But I thought we were in Russia!"

"Russia? We haven't been there in a long time!"

Kai sat up quickly. "But… but how did we get here? The last thing I remember was us trying to escape the abbey, and then Boris caught us… and he was going to… he was…"

"Wow, you are more out of it than I thought! Uncle Boris is still with Grandpa Voltaire in Russia! We haven't seen them since last Christmas.

"But…"

"That sounds like one strange dream though! Imagine Uncle Boris running an abbey! Aren't those for monks or something? Oh, he is going to crack up when he hears that!"

Kai frowned. "Uncle Boris? And since when do you call my Grandfather, Grandpa Voltaire? He'll kill you if he hears that!"

Rei frowned as well. "But you call him that to! Why would he kill me? He was the one who suggested it! And Uncle Boris really is like an uncle to me!" the taller boy leaned closer to Kai. "Are you feeling ok? Was I too rough on you last night?"

"What do you mean?"

"When we had sex. Was I to rough?"

Kai's eyes widened. "What the hell? I- we never!"

Rei continued on. "I mean, I know I have a bit more stamina then you, and you were pretty tired, but near the end you were begging for more— Kai? What's wrong?"

"What the hell is going on here, Rei? What right did you have to touch me like that? Why did you do it?"

Rei rolled his eyes. "Umm… maybe because I am your boyfriend? Seriously, Kai. What is up with you today?"

-------------

**A/N: **For those of you who have read the book, Awake and Dreaming, you will probably know what is going on. But for those of you who haven't, if it is a little confusing right now, don't worry. It will get clearer later on… I think. Oh, and I don't own the lyrics from Torn.

Thank you** autumnburn, MasterFranny, darkdragongirl0120, black kitten, Phyrefly, Darkening Dreams, Goddess of Chaos, HalfDemonInuyasha, M.S.K, starfiredevil, Golden Orbs, bffimagine, chaos, gerjanne, Cho-Hakkai1, UlTiMaTe KaI LuVa, sorekai, WhiteTigeress666, WanderingWonder, AngelKitsuneWolfDevil, foxfire,** and **Kibasgirl24 **for reviewing! Yay! People like it!

Please review! It makes an author happy!


	3. Mind Games

Err... hello everyone! I know it has been an insanely long time (seven months) since I have updated, and for that, I apologise! I am sorry! I honestly didn't mean for it to take so long! But I had lots of problems delaying me, including writers block, Gundam Wing, hospitals, and Harry Potter and the HBP.

Would you believe that most of this chapter was written by pen and paper? Oo my hand! But I found it was the only way I could write! To many distractions on the computer... But here it is! The third chapter of Awake and Dreaming! I don't know how many people are still reading this story, but for the ones that are, I hope you enjoy! And for the people who reviewed! This chapter is for you! There will be replies and thanks and stuff at the bottom! Cause I **know** you all want to read the chapter now!

Oh, and by the way, this chapter is un-beta'd, so any mistakes I made I had to catch myself. And the ones I didn't catch... well, it's hard to spot them all!

Kisses!

**Chapter 3  
Mind Games**

Kai knelt on his knees in the bathroom, hands gripping the sides of the toilet as he bent over it, body wracking with dry heaves. Rei crouched beside him, murmuring comforting words to him as he rubbed the smaller boys back. "It's ok, Kai. You will feel better in a bit."

Kai glared up at him. "This is all your fault, you know."

To his surprise, Rei laughed. "All **my** fault? You were the one who insisted on drinking the whole bottle! I told you it wasn't a good idea, so don't try to pin this on me!"

Kai stood up and pushed Rei's hand away, leaning on the bathroom sink for support. "That's not what I mean," he snapped. "I mean that stupid comment about me being your boyfriend. Why do you think I was suddenly sick? As if I would ever go out with you." He closed his eyes briefly. "I am already confused enough as it is without you making things worse."

Hurt flashed across Rei's face, but it was gone a second later, replaced by a laugh. "Kai! What are you talking about? Of course you're my boyfriend!"

Kai rolled his eyes. "How the hell can I be your boyfriend if I'm not even gay?"

At this, Rei flinched. "K-Kai?"

Kai continued. "You must be even more screwed up than me for that idea to even have entered your head."

Rei reached out a hand and placed it on Kai's shoulder. "Kai, we have been going out for over a year now. Why… why are you suddenly acting like nothing has happened between us? You haven't been this cold to me since the Russian tournament. What is wrong?"

Kai looked up into Rei's eyes. He could see hurt and confusion flitting through the amber depths, and disappointment. He shivered, and for some reason felt extremely guilty. "I'm sorry, Rei," he whispered. "I don't know what is wrong with me. I am not myself this morning. I feel really confused, like I don't know where I am." Well, the last part was true enough.

Rei's eyes softened. "Oh Kai, I knew I shouldn't have let you drink that much! I know alcohol sometimes has a strange effect on you, but I let you anyways. It's just… you were so playful last night, I couldn't help myself…"

Kai blushed. "U-Um… okay. Whatever."

Rei handed him a glass of water. "It's fine. Here. Rinse your mouth out, and then go get dressed. Tyson and Mao are out in the living room waiting for us."

Kai had just taken a sip of the water, but he spat it out quickly. "What? What are they doing here? And why are they here **together**?"

Rei rolled his eyes. "I know you weren't very excited about them coming over, but you didn't have to forget it entirely…" he mumbled, and turned, walking back into the bedroom. Frowning, Kai followed.

'_What the hell is going on?'_

Rei walked over to the bed and began straightening out the rumpled covers, fluffing up the pillows and smoothing the whole bed down. When he finished he looked up and frowned, seeing Kai still standing in the doorway. "Well don't just stand there! Get dressed!"

Kai looked pointedly at Rei. "Some privacy?"

To his dismay, Rei sat down on the bed, smiling. "Why?" he purred. "It's not like I haven't seen you naked before…"

Kai blushed again. "That's right. You haven't."

Rei ignored him and reached under his pillow, pulling out a small red book. Opening it to somewhere in the middle, he began to write in it. Quickly, while Rei was distracted, Kai pulled open the drawer of the dresser and took out some pants and a shirt, flinging off his pyjamas and pulling them on quickly. Then he walked over to Rei, who was still writing. When he didn't look up, Kai cleared his throat. "Rei?"

Rei glanced up, and, seeing that Kai was dressed, grinned and stuck the book back under the pillow. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it?"

Kai didn't answer, sitting down next to Rei on the bed. "Rei I really need you to help me."

Rei nodded. "Sure! What's up?"

Kai looked down at his hands, which were clasped tightly in his lap. "That's the problem. I don't know. I have no clue what is going on here."

The other boy frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Everything is just so confusing. I have no clue what's going on, and I have no idea where I am."

Rei moved a bit closer to him. "You know you can talk to me, Kai."

Kai drew a shaky breath. "I… I don't know where to start."

Rei placed one of his hands over Kai's own. "Just start at the beginning." He said gently.

Relieved that Rei was actually listening to him, Kai took a deep breath and began. "That day that I wanted to go train alone, and you wanted to come with me, that's when it all started. Remember, I didn't want you to come with me, and you got really upset. I'm sorry, I left angry that day, and we never got a chance to work things out. I don't know what you guys thought when I never returned. Boris found me, and I was captured. He brought me back to the abbey." Kai paused. He could feel his fingernails digging into his palms, and he realized with horror that he was trying to hold back tears.

"Boris wanted me to agree to join Biovolt again, and when I refused he got angry. I was taken to a room, where I was beaten over and over. Tala… Tala was there. When Boris was done, he came back for me. He… he helped me clean off the blood, and put bandages on my wounds. But he was hurt too. It was Boris… it was his fault…" Kai closed his eyes and went on. "The next day, he was displeased with my beyblading results, and when he punished me, I fought back. I must have passed out, because when I woke again, I was alone in a dark room. Then… then… you, you were there. I don't know how, but you came. We were escaping when Boris caught us, and I was so scared that h-he would hurt you… I don't know what happened then, but suddenly I was waking up, and you were there. And Boris was nowhere in sight." Rei's hand left his leg and reached up to brush away the tears that were running down his cheek. "I'm so confused," he whispered. "I have no idea how I got here."

"Why are you crying?"

The sudden question startled Kai, and he looked quickly up at Rei. "W-what?"

Rei's eyes were bright with concern. "Kai, I am really worried about you. You aren't yourself. What's wrong?"

Kai's eyes widened. "What's wrong?" he repeated. "Haven't you been listening to what I just told you?"

Rei shook his head. "You haven't said anything Kai. You sat there in silence, and then began to cry." He sighed, and when he spoke again it was in a sad tone. "I wish you would open up to me. You know you can tell me anything, but you don't. You still keep your feelings locked away, even after all these years."

Kai stared at him. "But…"

He was interrupted as the door burst open, and a blue eyed boy with messy black hair poked his head in. "Hey you guys!" he called loudly. "What's taking you so long? Hurry up or we will eat all your food!"

Kai's eyes snapped to the boy. "Tyson?" he whispered.

Tyson grinned. "The one and only man! Now hurry your ass out here!" he spun around and left, leaving the door open.

Kai groaned and rested his head in his hands. "If there's one thing I can always count on, it's Tyson being there to annoy me," he mumbled.

Rei smiled slightly, and rubbed Kai's back. "Will you be ok for a while?" Kai nodded. Standing up, Rei handed Kai a tissue. "You can come out when you are ready," he told him, and walked to the door. When he got there, he paused and looked back. "We will talk about this later, Kai." Then he turned and left.

Kai continued to sit there, staring at the tissue in his hand. _'This makes no sense,_' he thought. _'Why did Rei act like I didn't say anything just now? He must have heard me. There's no way he couldn't have. Unless he just pretended not to hear me, but why would he do that?'_ Kai rubbed his eyes tiredly. _'This has SO got to be a dream._'

A few minutes later, after he had gone to the bathroom adjoined to the room to splash water on his face, Kai entered the living room. Rei was sitting on the couch talking to Mao, and Tyson was slouched next to him, eating a sandwich and flipping through channels on the TV. As soon as Kai entered, however, the pink haired girl jumped up and hurried to his side.

"Oh Kai! How are you feeling? Rei told us you were sick!" Kai stood frozen as she pressed a hand to his forehead. "Well you don't have a fever, but maybe you should take something anyways. Do you want me to get you an aspirin?

"What? I… no! I… I'm fine!"

"Are you sure? You look a little pale… maybe we shouldn't go out today after all."

At this Tyson sat up, abandoning his channel surfing, a panicked look appearing on his face. "H-hey! Wait a minute! Kai's feeling fine, aren't you buddy?" Receiving a blank look from Kai, he continued. "He probably only has a headache from drinking! He will be fine once we get there, right?" he looked hopefully at the other boy.

Kai frowned and pushed Mao's hand away. "I said I was ok. But where are we-" he was cut off as Tyson jumped to his feet.

"Yes! We are still going! I knew you'd pull through for us!"

Rei also stood up, shooting a worried look at Kai. "Are you sure? We don't have to go if you don't want to."

"I'm fine!" Kai snapped. "God, how many times do I have to tell you? I'm not made out of glass, you know!"

Mao laughed. "Well with that attitude, I guess you really are all right! Now you boys go get your stuff together and meet us out in the car. We have to get there early if we want a full day!"

Rei nodded and gripped Kai's arm, steering him out of the room. "Wait," Kai called. "Where the hell are we going?"

No one answered.

* * *

Half an hour later, Kai climbed out of the car and stared in horror at the building they were standing before. "A water park?" he whispered. "We… we're going to a water park?" 

Tyson was bouncing beside him carrying a bag with his towel in it. "Can you believe we are actually here?" he babbled, clinging to Kai's arm and shaking him so hard Kai felt his head spin. "I mean, I have wanted to come here ever since you and Rei came! It was **so** hard listening to you guys talk about how wonderful it was! Man, I have wanted to come here, for, like, forever!"

Kai pushed Tyson away. "Get off me." Tyson just continued to talk, latching onto Mao and dragging her on ahead. Kai stopped for a minute, waiting for his head to stop spinning. He jumped when an arm was laid across his shoulders.

Rei, also carrying a bag with towels and swimsuits, pulled Kai close to him and kissed his cheek, not noticing the smaller boy had froze at the touch. "Look at Tyson!" Rei laughed. "He always manages to make a scene!" he glanced at Kai. "Oh, don't worry. All we have to do is pretend we don't know him and we will be fine."

Kai shook his head and started to walk again, shrugging off Rei's arm. "No, it's not that," he said quietly.

Rei fell into step beside him. "Well what is it then? I know you don't have that look on your face for nothing."

Kai sighed. "You won't give me any answers. It's really frustrating."

Rei frowned, confused. "Answers? What kind of answers?"

Kai waved his hand around. "To everything! To this! How the hell did we get here! How did we escape from the abbey?"

Rei didn't answer. Instead he put his arm around Kai again and began to walk faster. "Come on!" he said. "We should catch up to Tyson before he hurts himself."

Kai started to panic as Rei pushed open the glass doors and walked into the building, following the others. "Wait Rei!" he said, as they walked up to the front desk. "We… we aren't actually going to do this, are we?"

Rei gave him a funny look. "What do you think? We didn't drive all the way out here for nothing." He noticed Kai's face had become rather pale. "Why? What's wrong?"

"I… I can't swim," Kai whispered.

Rei smiled, but it looked a bit forced. "What are you talking about, Kai? Of course you can swim. You have been swimming since you were five."

Kai lowered his eyes to the floor. "I have never been able to swim. I grew up in an abbey where every day they trained us to be the perfect bladers, no matter what the methods. They beat us, starved us, ripped us apart, and in all that time, not once did I learn how to swim!" Kai was dimly aware he was shouting. But as Rei grabbed him and pulled him down the hall, Kai looked around the room and realized that not one person in the lobby showed any sign that they had heard him.

Rei dragged him into a change room and slammed the door shut. "Get changed," he said shortly, reaching into the bag and handing Kai a plain black swimsuit.

Kai took them, his hands shaking slightly, and turned his back to Rei. He could hear Rei changing behind him, but he didn't say anything. His mind was stuck on one thing as he took of his clothes and pulled on the shorts. _'No one could hear me back there.'_ Slowly he looked over his shoulder and saw Rei too was done, and was looking at him. Kai didn't like the look on his face. It may have been a different Rei than he was used to, but even he could tell when Rei was angry.

Quickly he shoved his clothes into the bag, and started to walk to the door when suddenly Rei was on him. He pushed Kai against the opposite wall. Kai winced and tried to move forward but then Rei's body was right up against him, and the others hands were pining his own against the wall, trapping him.

He flinched. "Rei?"

The look in Rei's eyes was unreadable as he leaned forwards. "What is wrong with you, Kai? You know I don't believe this whole memory loss shit. You were fine yesterday. A person doesn't just suddenly change his whole personality over night. First you acted like you aren't gay, and we aren't together. Then you 'forget' Tyson and Mao are a couple. Then you say you don't know how to swim. I am getting really sick of this, Kai. I don't know what you are trying to do, but you are ruining the day for the rest of us. I was really looking forward to coming here again, and I thought you were too. Why the sudden change in attitude?" He suddenly looked hurt. "If you really didn't want to come here you should have just said so. You didn't have to lie to me."

Kai shook his head in frustration. "I didn't mean – it's not that I – it's not my fault, alright?"

"And to make matters worse, you won't even explain to me what's going on," Rei said, reaching up to stroke Kai's cheek. "I know you Kai, and this isn't like you at all. I need you to be able to talk to me."

Kai sighed in irritation. "You know how many times I have tried to tell you that I don't **know** what is going on?" He raised his voice. "But every time I think you are listening to me, you end up ignoring me, and then you don't hear a single damn word I say!"

Rei pushed himself away from Kai. "See that is exactly what I am talking about! You haven't explained anything to me all day! Every time you say you are going to, you don't! You just sit there silently for a while and then expect me to understand you! I am not a mind reader Kai. I need some sort of clue."

"I'm trying!" Kai yelled. "But you don't listen to me!"

"Well maybe I would **listen** if there was something to hear!" Rei yelled back.

"Yeah? Well maybe you're hearing needs checking!" Kai stomped over to the door and pulled it open. But just as he was about to walk out, Rei grabbed his arm and spun him around, pressing his lips firmly to Kai's. Kai froze in shock as Rei pulled him closer and thrust his tongue into his mouth. But the kiss was rough and harsh, and Kai whimpered in pain, pushing Rei away from him.

"What the fuck was that?" he cried, wiping his mouth. "You yell at me one minute, and then kiss me the next! Not to mention it hurt like hell! What is wrong with you?"

Rei reached out to touch him, but the other boy flinched. Rei frowned. "Kai…"

"Don't touch me," Kai said angrily. He pulled his arm out of Rei's grasp and left the room, walking down the hall with the sign that pointed to the pool. He could hear Rei behind him locking the change room and sped up. He had no desire to be anywhere near his boyfriend at the moment.

He followed the hall for only a short while, before he came to double glass doors, beyond which he could see the pool. He pushed them open, and immediately winced as a roar of noise assaulted his ears. Looking around, he saw that there were three big pools, and a smaller one, presumably for littler kids. A large hot tub was across the room from him, glass windows all along the wall showing a view of the city. Kai walked forwards towards the smallest pool, hearing a loud horn blow as he did so. He paused only for a moment at the waters edge, before walking in.

'_Who knows?'_ he thought, as the water rose past his waist. _'I might actually be a natural swimmer.'_

He stopped when the water lapped at his shoulders, however, and looked back behind him. Rei was standing by the doors talking to Mao and Tyson. They were wet, so Kai assumed they had already been in the pool. Rei was looking around, and Kai quickly turned his back to him. The small pool was fairly crowded, and Kai let the noise of all the people wash over him, confident Rei couldn't see him.

All of a sudden, a huge wave washed over him, pushing him under the water. Kai gasped, and water rushed into his lungs, choking him. Coughing and gasping, Kai broke through the surface and tried to touch the bottom. His feet met only more water as he thrashed around. With a horrible jolt he realized that the wave must have pushed him out farther, over his head. And then he was dragged under again. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't see. He could feel the water churning around him, before he was at the surface once more. He gasped for breath, coughing up water, and them swallowing more as another wave crashed down upon him. He could feel himself slowly loosing consciousness, even as strong arms wrapped around him, hauling him out of the water.

Kai kept his eyes closed as he felt himself being laid down on the cold wet tile floor. He could feel someone leaning over him, their fingers lightly touched his cheek, before pinching his nose. Then warm lips covered his own and his eyes flew open. He shoved the person off him and rolled over, coughing violently. "Shit!" he gasped. His lungs felt like they were on fire, but yet he couldn't stop coughing. A hand was rubbing his back in a soothing manner, but he still felt the urge to swat it away.

"Kai!"

He jerked his head up sharply, and suddenly Rei was kneeling before him, helping him into a sitting position. "Rei?" he croaked. His throat felt dry.

"Oh my god, Kai, what happened? Are you ok? You're not hurt, are you?" Rei pushed some wet hair out of Kai's eyes and then trailed his fingers down his cheek, before running his hands over Kai's arms.

Then another man knelt beside him. He was young, wearing a lifeguard's shirt. "Your friend almost drowned here," he said to Rei, replacing his hand on Kai's back. "He's lucky I spotted him."

Rei narrowed his eyes. "You have my thanks," he said coolly. "Is my boyfriend going to be okay now?"

Kai felt heat flare on his face. "Rei!" he hissed.

The lifeguard just stared at him. "Yes, he should be fine."

Rei nodded. "Then thank you for your help." The lifeguard shrugged and stood up. With one last look at Kai, he disappeared into the crowd. Immediately Rei turned back to Kai. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked in a soft voice.

Kai ignored him. "What the hell was that?" he asked, his voice still rough. "Why did you have to tell him we are… that we're… boyfriends…"

Rei glanced down. "I didn't like the way he was looking at you," he mumbled.

"Ex**cuse** me?" Kai said loudly.

The other boy looked up glaring. "You kissed him!" he exclaimed. Kai burst out laughing. "What now?" Rei snapped.

Kai shook his head. "I almost drown, and then you accuse me of cheating on you with the man who saved my life! You have some serious problems Rei."

"Shut up," Rei mumbled, but there was a smile tugging at his lips. And then he was hugging Kai, pulling the other boy tight against his body. Without thinking, Kai wrapped his arms around Rei as well, so that they were cheek to cheek. Warm breath tickled his ear. "I'm sorry," Rei whispered.

Kai pulled back so he was looking the other in the face. "It's okay. I'm sorry too."

"No I really mean it, Kai. I shouldn't have yelled at you back there. I just lost my temper. I couldn't understand what you were keeping from me, and it frustrated me to no end. I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

Kai kissed Rei gently. "It's okay," he repeated. "I was angry as well. It wasn't only your fault."

"But if you had drowned just now, our last words would have been angry ones." Rei closed his eyes briefly. "You could have **died**, Kai!"

"But I didn't, so it's okay! Stop worrying about it!"

"But…"

Kai kissed Rei again. "Stop it. It is in the past already."

Rei nodded and stood up, helping Kai to his feet. "What are you going to do now?" he asked. "I suppose you don't feel like swimming much."

Kai smiled humourlessly. "No I don't suppose. I think I will just go sit in the hot tub for a while. Calm down."

Rei nodded. "Do you want me to come with you?" he asked.

Kai shook his head. "No, sorry. I think I want to be alone for a while."

Rei frowned. "Are you sure? I don't think you should be alone after what just happened."

"Please Rei? I'm not mad at you; I just want some time to think. You go swim, or something."

Rei sighed but nodded. "I'll come check up on you later," he promised, and kissed Kai once more before leaving.

Kai watched him leave, and then turned around and walked in the opposite direction.

* * *

Kai sighed and sunk lower into the hot tub as the hot foamy water swirled around him. _'This is okay,'_ he thought. _'As long as I don't have to go back into the big pool I will be fine.'_ He turned over onto his stomach, arms resting on the cool tiles, so he could scan the pool for Rei. He spotted him playing some sort of game with Tyson and Mao in the shallow end of one of the big pools closest to the hot tub. Tyson was in the middle, and Mao and Rei were passing a ball over his head. Every time they threw it, Tyson would jump up in the air and try to catch it. 

Kai rolled his eyes and laid his head on his arms, watching Rei dive to get the ball before Tyson. His long black hair fell down his back in a wet braid, and his bangs sent drops of water flying into his face. Kai smiled softly. The Rei he knew had always hated getting his hair wet, blaming it on the cat in him, but Kai suspected that it was because it took so long to dry.

He yawned. _'Maybe I will offer to brush it for him later,_' he thought, as Tyson grabbed the ball before Mao got to it. With a look of triumph on his face, they switched places, so now the pink haired girl was in the middle. Kai snorted. "Stupid Tyson," he mumbled. But even Tyson had changed in this world. He had slimmed down a lot, and the muscles in his chest and arms were more defined. His hair was cut differently, so that it fell into his eyes, which were a darker blue than he remembered. In all this Tyson looked older, more mature.

Kai shuddered. _'Shit. I can't believe I actually considered Tyson to be attractive. I really must have done something to my head._' He shifted his gaze back to Rei. _'Tyson is nothing compared to him though. I think I could actually start to like Rei, like that. Then maybe we could…'_ he stopped as he suddenly remembered that they were, in fact, supposed to be boyfriends in this place.

"This is so screwed up," he said to himself. _'It's like I have fallen into whole other world or something, just, with all the same people. Sometimes it even feels like I belong here.'_

Kai groaned, remembering something. _'I can't believe I kissed Rei back there. Twice! What was I thinking?'_ he paused. _'Or maybe that's just it. I wasn't thinking. I was just caught up in the moment and didn't realize what I was doing.'_ He bit his lip. _'What is going to happen to me? Will I stay in this place? What brought me here anyways? And what is happening back at the abbey? Time doesn't just stop. Has Boris found out that I'm missing yet?'_ a sudden chill gripped him_. 'I hope he doesn't punish Tala for it.'_

Still worrying over that thought, Kai frowned. _'Something weird is going on here. Every time I mention anything from my other life, it's like no one can hear me, even when I yell. I don't think it is just a coincidence. Maybe… maybe they don't hear me, because it never happened. All that stuff, all my past, it never happened here. It still doesn't really make sense, but it is the best I can come up with right now. I mean, who ever_ _heard of someone falling into an alternate universe. For that to happen, it would have to be… magic…'_

Kai snorted. "Who am I kidding? There is no such thing as magic."

Kai jumped as hands suddenly covered his eyes. "Guess who?" came Rei's low voice from behind him.

A small smile on his face, Kai turned around and let Rei's arms wrap around his waist. "Hey," he said. "What's up?"

"We were thinking of heading out," Rei replied. "We have been here for a few hours now, and even Tyson seems ready to go." He eyed the other boy carefully. "Kai, you haven't been in the hot tub this whole time, have you? You are only supposed to be in there a maximum of twenty minutes!"

Kai rolled his eyes. "Of course I haven't. When it got to hot for me I just sat on the edge or went to the steam room." He waved his hand in the direction of the door on the other side of the tub.

Rei nodded. "That's good. I don't want you getting overheated."

"You worry too much."

Rei pouted as they climbed out of the pool. "How can I not? Look what almost happened to you. Trouble just seems to follow you around." Then suddenly his arm went around Kai again.

Kai looked up at him in surprise. "What is it?"

Rei scowled. "That lifeguard is looking at you again."

Kai laughed. "No he isn't."

"Yes he is!" Rei insisted. "Him, along with half the pool!"

Kai rolled his eyes. "You're being paranoid."

"And you're being oblivious," Rei retorted.

They walked in silence across the room to the doors where Mao and Tyson were waiting for them. As soon and they reached them, the two started talking.

"Oh Kai," Mao cried, her amber eyes full of worry. "Are you ok? Rei told us about your accident! I wanted to come immediately to make sure you were okay, but Rei told me to leave you alone. You look a little pale, are you feeling alright? You didn't swallow too much water did you? Do you need to go to the hospital?"

Tyson had swung his towel over his shoulders, and he looked at Kai with a big grin on his face. "Hey Kai, buddy! To bad about the whole almost drowning thing. The pool is awesome, isn't it! It sucks you didn't go back in the water after. It was so nice and wet. Well, it would be since its water haha. The water slide rules! I must have gone on it at least twenty times! Kai? Kai? Are you listening to me?"

"No," replied Kai truthfully.

Tyson sputtered. "Kai!"

Rei moved close to Kai's side, and murmured in his ear. "Come on. Let's go home."

_

* * *

Home. _

It was evening and they were back at the apartment. Mao and Tyson had left, after Tyson had had his third helping of desert, and then Rei had insisted they leave all the dishes till the morning, and had shooed Kai off to the bathroom. Now Kai lay on his back in bed, eyes closed. His hair was damp from his shower, and he wore only a pair of loose pyjama bottoms. Rei was now taking his turn in the bathroom, humming under his breath as he brushed his teeth. Kai smiled as he listened to him. That was one thing the two Rei's shared. His Rei had also liked to hum, as well as sing in the shower, even though everyone had complained about his voice.

Suddenly Kai felt a flash of resentment. This world seemed so perfect compared to his real life. Everything fell together so nicely. Why hadn't his life been like this all along? What had gone wrong?

A cool hand smoothed the hair away from his face and the bed sunk in a bit as someone settled beside him. "Why the frown?" asked Rei playfully, sliding his arm around Kai's shoulders.

Kai shrugged. "Hey… Rei…"

"Yeah?"

Kai took a deep breath. "Remember how I was trained in an abbey when I was young? Where the teachers there did what ever it took to create the perfect bladers, even if it meant abuse?"

Rei didn't answer.

Kai glanced at him, and saw his eyes were closed. "Rei? Are you still awake?" he asked quietly.

Rei nodded. "Uh huh," he mumbled. "What did you want?"

"Nothing."

'_He still can't hear me. I guess it is back to the magic theory again.'_ Kai looked over at Rei again, who was dozing lightly beside him. _'Home. If I stay here, this would be my home.'_ The thought sent a warm feeling through his chest, and he ran his fingers through some of Rei's loose hair. The other boy cracked his eyes open and smiled softly at him, bringing his own hand up to clasp Kai's gently. Then he brought it to his lips, placing a gentle kiss on it. The warm feeling grew.

He rolled over onto his stomach and wrapped an arm around Rei's waist. _'I could wake up tomorrow, and find out it was all a dream. But if it really was magic that brought me here, I want it to last as long as possible.'_

**Tbc…**

* * *

Wow. That was the longest chapter I have ever written! Now one last sort of important thing. This will be the last chapter I write for a while, because this monday I am going into the hospital to have my tonsils taken out (yay, go me). It will take me about a week to recover, and then we are leaving on vacation for the rest of august. I will try to write a lot while I am sick, and maybe post a chapter of something before I go, but no promises. Sorry! 

There, now that's taken care of... did you like it? Did you? Did you? I worked REALLY hard on this chapter, so it would be cool to get some feedback on it. You guys have been so great so far! I am amazed at the response!  
And thanks go to...

**UlTiMaTe KaI LuVa, MasterFranny, Rejiita, Kiko cat, SoulSister, WhiteTigress666, Karmen, Game-kid17, Rimnerel Ayasugi, Wild Stallion, artemis347, blueblueclouds, UPDATE UPDATE, Kibasgirl24, sweet tooth, Witty Angel, Lyrikkal, one-T, ray-is-sexy, katten, Kai-lovr, Cherrii, eyriess, grace, frosticdranzergal, Eclipsed Light, Kiina, and starfiredevil.**

And now I PROMISE that the next chapter won't take nearly so long.

And if you're **still** reading after all this... please feed the hungry author and review!


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